Peanut Tempeh with Noodles

Here is a dish that looks terrible but tastes great. Perhaps something needs to be added to the recipe to create some colour contrast so it looks less tan. Anyway, this is a great way to eat the oft maligned tempeh. If you find tempeh has a peculiar taste, you can simmer in in water for 10 mins or so.

INGREDIENTS
- 225g medium rice noodles
- 1 block of tempeh, cut in half lengthwise, then cut in small cubes
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)
- 1 tsp coriander
- salt to taste
- coriander for garnish

METHOD
1. Get noodles soaking in hot tap water for 30 mins.
2. Meanwhile, prep the tempeh. Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a frying pan or wok over med-hi heat. Add tempeh and fry for 5 mins, until golden all over. Add soy sauce and water and mix well, letting tempeh soak up most of the liquid.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add peanut butter, mixing well. Add a splash of water if needed. Remove tempeh from pan. Wipe pan or wok clean.
4. Drain noodles when ready. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan or wok. Add noodles and fry for 3-4 mins, until they get translucent and begin to stick together. Add curry paste and mix well. Then mix in coconut milk. Add coriander and season to taste.
5. Mix tempeh into the noodles and let simmer for a few mins to heat through. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Sweet and Hot Tofu

The recipe is super easy to make and tastes great (and looks nice, too). Frozen and thawed tofu is key here because it acts like a sponge and soaks up the sauce. I usually throw a package or two of tofu in the freezer when I get home from the grocery store and thaw it when I need it.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup white vinegar

- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic chili sauce

- 1 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 pkg firm tofu, frozen and thawed

- 1/2 green pepper, large dice

- 1 red pepper, large dice

- 4 scallions, cut into 1/2" sections

METHOD

1. Heat sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over med-lo heat. Add chili garlic sauce and salt and mix well. Turn off heat.

2. Squeeze water out of tofu and dice. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over med-hi heat. Fry tofu for a few mins, until golden. Remove from wok. Add 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry pepper for 2-3 mins. Add scallions and fry for 1 min. Add tofu and sauce to the pan. Reduce heat and let bubble for a few mins, allowing the sauce to thicken. Serve over rice.

Ginger Pear Crepes

I really am being a negligent blogger these days. Things are so busy between prepping for classes, trying to research and write, run a small bakery, and look after 3 kids! Anyway, this is the dessert I made for my date night with Vegan Mom on Sunday. The inspiration comes from the latest issue of Food and Drink. The original recipe has apples and I had every intention of the following/veganizing the recipe, but when I went to make it I could not find the magazine anywhere. Then I noticed that we had a bunch of pears that needed to to be eaten up. I think this recipe could benefit from a few splashes of liquor, but I am not sure what kind (any ideas, Celine?).

INGREDIENTS
Makes 10 crepes
- 1/2 recipes of crepes (should make about ten 6" crepes)
- 8 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced (I used Bartlett)
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- few splashes of water
- 1 recipe vegan cream, or soy yogurt

METHOD
1. Make crepes and set aside, stacked on one another.
2. Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add pears and cook for 3-4 mins, or until they begins to break down a bit. Add sugar and spices and bring to bubbling. Let thicken a bit adding some water if needed. Remove from heat.
3. Place 1/10 of the filling in the centre of a crepe. Fold in half, then in quarters. Press the crepe down a bit to distribute the filling. Top with cream, or yogurt, and serve.

Corn Doggies

Just a quick post tonight because I today has been absolutely insane. It was my busiest day for the bakery so far: 8 baguettes, 6 loaves of whole wheat bread, two trays of lemon currant rolls, and 2 loaves of rye bread. To make things even busier, I had a baby shower to attend for a colleague, and Son #1 had a birthday party to go to. And, since the birthday party was at the bowling alley, and since the bowling alley staff doesn't even know what vegan means, I had to make a parallel meal for him to take. He requested the corn doggies from Happy Herbivore's new e-cookbook (you should buy it). I made them on a bamboo skewer, included some ketchup and mustard for dipping, and he was off. It is great that he now doesn't care that he has to take a different meal to parties, and great dishes like this make it easy for him to be the odd one out. Thanks, Happy Herbivore!

Rye Bread

I'm not the biggest fan of rye bread, but I think that's because I don't care for caraway seeds which often seem to be in or on rye breads. But one of my bakery customers asked if I made a rye bread so I thought I would explore some options. I settled on this recipe, adapted from The Chez Piggy Cookbook. It is tender with a nice crust and is caraway seed-free (though you can feel free to add some). Although this recipe takes a little time, the taste is well worth it.

Makes 2 loaves

DAY ONE (morning) Soy Milk Sour

- 1 1/2 cups soy milk at room temperature

- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 3/4 cup rye flour

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and let sit at room temperature.

DAY ONE (evening) Starter

- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

- 1 cup warm water

- soy milk sour from above

- 2 cups white bread flour

- 1 cup rye flour

1. Dissolve yeast into water. Add to milk sour, then mix in flours. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO Finished Loaf

- rye starter from Day One

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 tsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp sea salt

- 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

- 3 cups white bread flour

- soy milk for brushing

1. Bring starter to room temperature (stick in a warm place for an hour or so). Add in the rest of the ingredients. Turn onto a well floured surface and knead. The dough will be stickier than a normal bread dough (but not gloppy), so don't add too much flour.

2. Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise for an hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down with floured hands, divide in two, and place in loaf pans. Let rise until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Slash the loaves down the centre with a razor blade. Gently brush with soy milk. Bake for 15 mins. Reduce heat to 375, and bake for 20-25 mins, until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped in the bottom.

Tonight I made a mountain of Reuben Sandwiches with this rye bread. Man, were they ever good.